WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE     Print Version
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wants the public's help in developing proposed hunting season alternatives for 2003-05.

The department has set a series of eight public meetings to gather input on the alternatives, which will be shaped into final recommendations and submitted to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The nine-member citizen panel is expected to adopt a final hunting rules package at its April 11-12 meeting in Moses Lake.

Copies of proposed hunting season alternatives are available from WDFW offices, and are posted on the department's website.

Dave Ware, WDFW Game Manager, said public comments can be submitted in writing, at scheduled public meetings, or via the Internet. All comments must be received by Feb. 10 to be considered by WDFW staff in developing final recommendations.

"Specific hunting season recommendations for many species are not well defined at this point," Ware said. "There is still data coming in from the 2002 hunting seasons, and we want to collect as much public input as possible through these upcoming meetings before completing a final package."

Comments can be mailed to: WDFW Wildlife Program, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA, 98501-1091, "Attention - proposed hunting season comments," or via e-mail at wildthing@dfw.wa.gov.

Proposals include changes to the youth-only hunt in the Okanogan area; changes to antlerless white-tailed deer, early archery elk hunting opportunities; changes in the allowed weapons for hunting grouse and shifting September goose hunting days in eastern Washington.

The public meetings, set for 7-9 p.m., will be at the following locations: